October USWNT Friendlies: USA 6-0 South Korea - Carli Lloyd says goodbye with a dominant win

Following a goalless draw against South Korea in Kansas City, the USWNT travelled to St. Paul, Minnesota looking to start a new winning streak. The team got off to a slow start but eventually figured out the South Korean defense. In the end, the team said farewell to Carli Lloyd in winning fashion with a 6-0 win.

The Stars and Stripes would line up in the familiar 4-3-3 with Carli Lloyd of course starting in her final game.

Meanwhile, South Korea again set out in a 4-4-2 with keeper Yoon Youngguel on the bench, much to the relief of the American attackers.

Gifs of a lot of goals after about an hour and a tearful goodbye to Carli Lloyd

As expected with a young squad, the USA began with a lot of energy and quickly took control of the game. South Korea was pressed into their own half and third for much of the opening.

After coming on and perhaps being the best player on the pitch for the Americans, Sophia Smith provided a lovely cutback to the player who will wear the no. 10 going forward and Lindsey Horan put the USA up 1-0 in the 9th minute.

Carli Lloyd nearly found the scoresheet herself in the 27th minute when a ball found her at the top of the 18, but her left footed shot was saved by keeper Kim Jungmi.

Indeed, though South Korea made a switch at keeper, their defense was still sound and the stand in netminder was a solid replacement. While the visitors didn’t have much success attacking the USA in the first matchup, one thing that did work for them was Ji Soyun finding space on breakaways. That appeared to be the plan once again for the team and in the 41st minute as the no. 10 broke forward, Andi Sullivan pulled her down to earn a yellow card.

A second goal for the USA would come when Sullivan headed home a shot coming off of a corner sent to the near post by Catarina Macario. Eventually, this would be scored an own goal, but Sullivan did the work here to send the ball toward the net.

Following the kickoff, the teams would go into the half with the USA up 2-0. The second half began and the USA began creating chances with Lloyd putting a header on frame that was saved in the 54th minute.

The first set of USA subs came on as Megan Rapinoe replaced Mallory Pugh and Rose Lavelle came on for Macario in the 55th minute. Lavelle made her presence known as a few minutes after entering the game, she made a blistering solo run before launching a shot that went over the bar from 20 yards out.

The third sub would come in the 65th minute as a tearful Carli Lloyd took off her boots, hugged each of her teammates, passed off the captain’s armband to Rapinoe, revealed a second jersey under her game kit with the name Hollins adorning it, and came off the pitch for Alex Morgan.

A few minutes after coming on, Morgan would put the USA up 3-0 as Rapinoe played her through on goal.

In the 71st minute, Becky Sauerbrunn, Lynn Williams, and Tobin Heath would come in for Tierna Davidson, Sophia Smith, and Andi Sullivan respectively.

The goals would keep coming too. In the 85th minute, Rapinoe would make the score 4-0.

After coming on and providing an attacking spark for the USA, Lavelle would get a score of her own in the 89th minute.

Tobin Heath also did what Tobin Heath does and demolished a defender’s ankles before providing an assist to Lynn Williams for the 6th and final goal of the night.

While South Korea proved to be a tough opponent defensively, the USA kept pushing and testing them until the dam broke late in the game.